Apparatus for sawing wood to produce smooth rotary planed surfaces

ABSTRACT

A method of sawing wood to produce a smooth rotary planed surface wherein a piece of wood is moved into a rotary saw in the direction of cutting while maintaining the sawed pieces in spaced relation and out of substantial contact with the back edge of the saw by shifting a splitter transversely in response to lateral transverse deflections of the saw. A rotary saw machine having a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides of a saw blade mounted for axial movement upon a saw arbor, each saw guide comprising a wear member that is flexibly and resiliently supported for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, each wear member having a surface that is maintained in contact with the side surface of the saw blade under a resilient preload force that urges the saw blade against the other wear member to rigidify the saw blade and maintain the blade in a predetermined cutting plane. A rotary saw machine having a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides of the saw blade mounted for axial movement upon a saw arbor, means for yieldably supporting the saw guides for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, and a splitter disposed adjacent the back edge of the saw blade and mounted to said support means, said splitter being free to move laterally in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation in response to transverse deflections of the saw blade.

United States Patent [111 3,568,738

[72] Inventor Elbridge W. Thrasher Primary Examiner-Andrew R. JuhaszUkiah, Calif. Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan [21] Appl. No. 791,930AttorneyEckhoff & Hoppe [22] Filed Jan. 17, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 9,1971 7 Assignee Masonite Corporation ABSTRACT: A method of sawing woodto produce a smooth rotary planed surface wherein a piece of wood ismoved into a rotary saw in the direction of cutting while maintainingthe sawed pieces in spaced relation and out of substantial contact withthe back edge of the saw by shifting a splitter transversely in responseto lateral transverse deflections of the saw.

[ APPARATUS FOR SAWING WOOD T0 PRODUCE A rotary saw machine having apair of saw guides disposed SMOOTH ROTARY PLANED U F C on opposite sidesof a saw blade mounted for axial movement 13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figsupona saw arbor, each saw guide comprising a wear member 52 US. Cl. 143/55,that is flexibly and resiliently suPPM mvemem in 143/159, 143/160,144/312 direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation,

51 Int. Cl B27b 11/02 each member having a Surface that is maintained in9- 50 Field ofSearch 143/160, with the me Surface Saw blade under a mine160.8 37 1576 157:7 159 159.15 15916 preload force that urges the sawblade against th other Wear 1,591,? 159:; lsgj 371 member to rigidifythe saw blade and maintain the blade in a v predetermined cutting plane.

[55] Refere ces Cit d A rotary saw machine having a pair of saw guidesdisposed UNITED STATES PATENTS on opposite sides of the saw blademounted for axial movement upon a saw arbor, means for yieldablysupporting the 15304 1856 Rlce 143/160 saw guides for movement in adirection substantially parallel 668343 1901 143/37 to the axis of bladerotation, and a splitter disposed adjacent 775477 1904 Noflm 43/160 theback edge of the saw blade and mounted to said support 219139 1879Barnes l43/55X means, said splitter being free to move laterally in adirection FOREIGN PATENTS substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation in response 45,894 1918 Sweden 143/160 to transversedeflections of the saw blade.

PATENTEU MAR 91971 3 568,738

SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVENTOR,

B HER/06f W. THR/JSHfR WWW A TTOANE V5 PATENTEDHAR 91% 3 5 8 73 4 SHEET2 OF 3 INVENTOR, ELBk/DGE W. THKASHEI? BY EM w NW A T TOKNE V5 APPARATUSFOR SAWING W001!) T PRODUCE SMUGTH IRQTARY FLANEID SURFAlCES Thisinvention relates to rotary saw equipment and to methods of operationfor producing a smooth rotary planed surface. More particularly, theinvention involves the construction and mounting of saw guides andsplitter and methods by which they may be utilized, especially withrelatively thin circular saws, to produce smooth surfaced lumber.

The use of saw guides for maintaining relatively thin saws inpredetermined cutting planes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,302. Itis also to be understood that the use of splitters in back of a saw isnot novel. The present invention, however, is distinquishable from theseprior art devices in several important respects. First, the constructionand mounting of saw guides are herein described rigidifies the saw bladewhile effectively maintaining the blade in a predetermined cuttingplane. A second improvement over the prior art devices is derived bymounting a splitter from a flexibleguide support so that the splitter isfree to move latei'ally in response to transverse deflections of the sawblade. It had been further discovered that an unusually smooth, rotaryplaned surface may be produced when the workpiece is moved against thesaw blade in the direction of cutting while using asplitter in themanner described.

Conventional methods of rotary sawing normally contemplate that a pieceof wood or workpiece will be moved against the saw blade in thedirection opposite to the direction of cutting. This is especially truewhen the number of saw blades are use used in battery to slice orsection a cant into several pieces of lumber. Under such conditions thesaws themselves restrain the piece against a support surface andactually restrict its linear feed. It is evident, however, that byoperating the saws in reverse (i.e., rotating the saws in the directionof feed) each saw tends to pull the workpiece forward and, if the saw isoperated with a bottom arbor mounting, it will tend to lift the piecefrom the work surface. If this should happen, the piece may actually befed over the top of the saws rather than being cut. Quite obviously suchconditions of operation are undesirable both from production and safetystandpoints Accordingly, it is the normal and well established practiceto operate a rotary saw machine by passing the workpiece into the a sawagainst the direction of cutting rotation.

Nevertheless, various saw machines are used where the workpiece is movedinto a battery of saws in the direction of cutting. For example, doublearbor arrangements having a pair of aligned and coplanar saw blades areknow wherein the workpiece is moved in the same direction of cuttingwith respect to one saw but against the direction of cutting withrespect to the other. This is known as a balanced cutting arrangement,the pull of one saw being utilized to counteract the restraint imposedby the other.

It is further believed that single arbor saw machines have also beenoperated by moving the workpiece in the direction of cutting. However,those machines have used top arbor mountings so that the saw blades holdthe workpiece against a support surface. In any event, the mere feedingof the workpiece in the direction of cutting will not, by itself,produce the smooth surfaces which may be obtained by practicing themethods of this invention.

The present invention, it will be found, is applicable to both singleand double arbor saw machines. It may also be used in connection withsaws mounted on either top or bottom arbors. The important distinctionin using the methods of this invention as compared with the prior artmethods described above is in the further use of a saw splitter that isfree to move laterally in a direction substantially parallel to the axisof blade rotation and which is shifted transversely in response tolateral transverse deflections of the saw. More specifically, it hasbeen found that the combined steps of moving a piece of wood into acircularsaw in the direction of cutting while shifting a splittertransversely in response to lateral transverse deflections of the sawmay be used to produce exceptionally smooth surfaces on rotary cutlumber, surfaces which may be compared favorably with surfaced lumber.The various techniques and devices for practicing this invention aremore fully described below.

It is to be understood that various forms of apparatus and devicesdescribed herein have separate utility and may be used .to improve theoperation of rotary saws, particularly those that are mounted for axialmovement upon a saw arbor and held in a predetermined cutting plane bysaw guides.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to providemethods and apparatus for commercially sawing wood and to produce lumberhaving an exceptionally smooth surface, one that may be comparedfavorably with a surface formed with a cylinder type planer.

Another object is to provide a method of cutting with rotary saws whichpermits the use of saw blades having a minimum kerf and a side clearanceless than 0.010 inch per side for each tooth.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved forms ofapparatus that maybe used in commercial operations to produce lumber ata high production rate and with a much higher recovery than heretoforepossible.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method of sawing woodto produce a smooth rotary planed surface with a circular saw and as'plitter'v by moving a piece of wood into the circular saw in thedirection of cutting and shifting the splitter transversely in responseto lateral transverse deflections of the saw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a saw machine having arotary saw blade mounted for axial movement upon a saw arbor and a pairof saw guides disposed on opposite sides of the saw blade, each sawguide including a wear member, and an improved means for yieldablysupporting said wear members to rigidify the blade while maintaining theblade in a predetermined cutting plane.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent in view of thefollowing detailed description.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likeparts are identified by like reference numerals throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation and partial section of a single arbor,battery edger constructed and operated in a preferred mannercontemplated by this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the battery edger shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the battery edger showingthe relationship of saw blades, saw guides and splitters;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevation and section taken on lines 5-5 of FIG.2; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of a single tooth of one of the rotary sawblades.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a preferred method and apparatus forpracticing this invention, said apparatus comprising a battery of rotarysaws 10 each keyed for rotation with a splined shaft or arbor ll that isdriven clockwise, as shown. Each saw is mounted with a floatingaxiallooseness, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,302, and is guidedin a predetermined cutting plane by a pair of spaced saw guides 12 and13 supported from a mounting block l4 disposed adjacent the front edgeof saws 10. The construction of these saw guides is describedhereinafter in greater detail.

It will be noted that saws 10 are not mounted upon arbor 11 with sawcollars as in the conventional manner. Instead, saws 10 are formed witha center opening having a scalloped edge 10a that is defined by aplurality of equally spaced circular arcs, each are receiving one of thecircular splines that is provided on splined surface llla of arbor ill.This saw mounting arrangement has been found particularly useful sinceit permits the use of saw guides in areas closely adjacent to the sawarbor while facilitating the axial movement of blades along the arbor.In addition, and by reason the self-centering action which is producedwhen arbor i1 is rotated, essentially all clearances between splinedsurface 11a and scalloped edge a are eliminated. This reduces bladevibrations which are normally created by a sloppiness in fit orclearances as between the shaft and opening of standard saw collars. Thereduction or elimination of vibrations is an important factor in makingcuts of maximum smoothness.

The work piece or cant C is fed into rotary saws 10 in the samedirection as the direction of cutting. Simultaneously, cant C is heldagainst a plurality of feed and transport rollers 15 by means of pressrolls 16 and 17, respectively disposed on front and back sides of thesaws. Press roll 16 is adapted to be moved and held against the cant bya cylinder 13 and press roll 17 is similarly positioned and held down bya cylinder 19. A preferred form of apparatus contemplated by thisinvention also includes a fixed roller 20 disposed directly in front ofsaws 10, the lower surface of said roller being at a level only slightlybelow the maximum cutting height of the saws. This roller assures thateach cant passing through the battery of saws will be cut and that nopiece is able to pass into and then over the top of the saws.

It is to be understood that a lubricating fluid is introduced into thework area of saw blades 10 in any conventional manner. For example,lubricating fluid may be introduced through the saw guides or, as moreconventionally constructed, the machine may be equipped with adispensing tube having a plurality of jets through which water issprayed into the working area.

Saw guides 12 and 13 comprise a resilient support arm 25, the front endof each arm being rigidly clamped in mounting block 14, whichessentially comprises a plurality of centering plates 26 and spacerblocks 27, 27' held together in a block assembly by a plurality ofthrough bolt connectors 28. Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, it will beseen that the support arms of each pair of saw guides 12 and 13 areclamped against opposite sides of one centering plate 26, each centeringplate defining a reference plane for maintaining one of the saws in apredetermined cutting plane. Support arms are held against centeringplates 26 (and in spaced relation to other support arms) by spacerblocks 29, facing plates 30 and layers of hard rubber 31. One facingplate 30 is bonded to one of the hard rubber layers 31 which in turn isbonded to the side facing of a support arm 25, forming a one-pieceassembly. Layers 31 function as a vibrational dampening means but alsoprovide give," allowing each support arm to be interdigitated withspacer blocks and centering plates by wedging them therebetween. Eachfacing plate 30 allows the support arm to be mounted in block 14 betweenother support arms without abrading the resilient material which wouldotherwise be exposed.

Each complementary pair of support arms 25 are interconnected in back ofsaws 10, a splitter 35 being clamped therebetween. In addition, the rearends of support arms 25 normally rest upon an angle bar 36 which may bemoved rearwardly to a nonsupporting position. More particularly, bar 36is pivotally supported upon a pair of radial arms 37, each arm beingsecured to a shaft that may be rotated by operating a crank arm 38.Thus, a slight clockwise-rotation of crank arm 38 will move angle bar 36to a nonsupporting position in back of support arm 25. This allows eachsupport arm to be pivoted about the saw arbor axis into the broken lineposition illustrated in FIG. 2, a position from which the saws and sawguides may be removed axially from arbor 11.

It is to be understood that the flexibility of each support arm 25,which may be made of aluminum, allows the saw guides to move laterallyin a direction substantially parallel with the axis of arbor 11. Theresiliency of each support arm, however, causes the arm as well as theguided saw blade 10 to return to its neutral position.

Each saw guide further comprises a wear plate 40 mounted to a supportarm 25 and having a wear surface that is maintained in contact with theside surface of a saw blade under a resilient preload force. This forceis provided by a layer of resilient material 41 sandwiched between thesupport arm and its supported wear plate. In a preferred construction,the wear plate may be made of micarta and the resilient layer ofpolyurethane foam which is maintained in compression by the spacing ofthe support arms and their own resiliency.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 in particular, it will be evident that wearplates 40 provide an area of continuous contact extending from pointsnear the gullet on the leading edge of the saw blades across the bladeto points adjacent the back edge thereof and that the area of contact oneach side of the saw blade is generally opposite to the area of contactmade on the other side. Further, the areas of continuous contact extendbetween the working area of each saw and the saw arbor and form twoseparated and unsupported blade areas of different size, these areasbeing indicated generally by the reference letters X and Y. The smallerof the two areas X it will be seen is the working area of the blade, thelarger area being provided below wear plates 40 to allow for bladewarpage when the blade is stretched during use.

In operation, the preload force of each saw guide 12 counteracts thepreload force of the saw guide 13 forming its pair. These forcesrigidify the saw blade in the contacted areas while also maintainingeach saw blade in a predetermined cutting plane. The flexibility oflayer 41 and the resiliency of support arms 25, however, providesufficient give to tolerate minor deflections in the saw blade as mightbe caused by slivers of wood or knots. Any lateral distortions ordeflections of the saw will increase the forces which tend to return thesaw into its intended cutting plane. It is also important to note thatsince each pair of saw guides 12 and 13 are connected together in backof the saws they move as a unit, the resiliency of both support armsacting to return the saw blade confined therebetween to its neutralposition while maintaining pressure on both sides of the saw.

The method and apparatus described above has been found particularlyeffective for guiding relatively thin saws having a saw kerf of only0.100 inch. The invention, moreover, allows and fully contemplates theuse of saw blades having saw kerfs substantially less than 0.100 inchwhen cutting wood material ofa nominal four inch thickness and greateron a high production basis with extreme accuracy. Even so, it iscontemplated that saw kerfs and blades of greater thickness may be usedto produce a rotary smoothness in accordance with the methods hereindescribed.

It has been found that the method of sawing herein described may beeffectively practiced in cutting wood having a nominal thickness fourinches and greater even though the side clearance of each saw tooth isless than 0.010 inch per side, as indicated in FIG. 6. This is to becompared with a side clearance of 0.015 as used in the best knownprocedures of the prior art, which also operate with thin saw blades.Although the difference in side clearance (amounting to 0.01 0 inchacross the full width of each tooth) may not appear substantial, eventhis difference may be a major factor in the recovery level forcommercial mill operations. But the importance of the invention isfurther highlighted since it is possible to use side clearances wellbelow 0.010 inch per side. In actual practice it has been found thatthin saws may be operated with a side clearance less than 0.005 inch perside.

The use of saw blades having comparatively small kerfs and sideclearances are particularly favored since it has been found that theyproduce a smoother cut. It is believed that this is at least partlyattributable to the smaller size chip that is cut from the workpiece.Larger kerfs produce larger chips and this, it would seem, increases thevibration on the teeth and/or produces a more abrupt cut in theworkpiece. In any event, the methods and apparatus described herein maybe more effectively utilized to produce smoother cuts by employing sawblades with a small kerf and reduced side clearances.

It is contemplated that saw blades used with this invention should beprecision side-ground to maintain the side clearances suggested above.In this regard, the saw blades either may be formed with carbide teethor the teeth may be swaged in the normal manner and then ground to thespecified clearance. in the latter event, it is desirable to harden thetop of each tooth to maintain sharpness and increase wear. One type ofapparatus found to be particularly useful for hardening the saw teeth isthat manufactured by Rocklin Manufacturing Company wherein tungstencarbide is deposited on each tooth in a process known as sparkhardening,

it is further contemplated that in a preferred machine embodiment forpracticing this invention each piece of lumber cut by saws will be movedrearwardly upon rollers until discharged onto a transverse conveyor, andthat while being moved the lumber will be confined within a continuoushousing. it is only after the lumber pieces come to rest on thetransverse conveyor, which may be'disposedat an elevation below thesurface of rollers 15, that the lumber will be brought into the open.The preferred embodiment might further include a bumper or stoppositioned in back of the transverse conveyor in line with rollers 15and spaced from the last roller 15 a distance that is at least as greatas the length of the longest workpiece which may be cut. This housingarrangement provides maximum safety conditions and insures that no pieceof lumber may be inadvertently hurled from the roller conveyor by thecutting action of the saws into an area occupied by mill hands oroperators.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustratedand described,.various modifications and changes may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theattached claims, and each of such modifications and changes iscontemplated. For example, this invention has been described inconnection with a single arbor machine but each of the various featuresmay also be used in connection with a double arbor saw machine and/or ashiftable edger. Y Y

lclaim:

1. In a saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and aparallel saw guide disposed on opposite sides ofthe saw blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantiallyparallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade with a force that urges a saw blade against thewear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, saidsupport means comprising a support arm mounted adjacent the front edgeof said saw blade and having a layer of resilient material disposedbetween said support arm and a supported wear member, said resilientlayer being compressed to place a preload force upon said wear memberurging said member against said saw blade.

2. The saw machine of claim 1, and further comprising meansinterconnecting said pair of saw guides adjacent both front and backedges of said saw blade.

3. The saw machine of claim 1, said support arm being mounted in alaminar block assembly comprised of spacer blocks and centering plates,said centering plates being of predetermined width to position a pair ofsaw guides on opposite sides and in guiding relation to the saw blade.

4. In a saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides ofthe saw blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade with a force that urges a saw blade against thewear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said bladein a predetermined cutting plane, saidsupport means comprising at least one support arm mounted adjacent thefront edge of said saw blade and having a facing plate mounted theretowith a resilient layer of material disposed therebetween.

5 In a saw machine having a rotary saw'blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides ofthe saw blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade witha force that urges a saw blade against thewear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, andfurther comprising means for supporting said pair of saw guides adjacentthe back edge of said saw blade, said support means being movable into aposition nonsupporting relative to said saw guides, whereby said sawguides may be rotated relative to the axis of the saw arbor for axialremoval.

6. In a saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides ofsaid blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade with a force that urges the saw blade againstthe wear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane; and asplitter disposed adjacent the back edge of the saw blade and mounted tosaid support means, said splitter being free to move laterally in adirection substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation inresponse to transverse deflections of said saw blade.

7. The saw machine of claim. 6, and further comprising means forsupporting said saw guides and splitter adjacent the back edge of thesaw blade.

8. The saw machine of claim 7, said support means being movable into anonsupporting position relative to said saw guides and splitter, wherebysaid saw guides and splitter may be rotated relative to the axis of thesaw arbor for axial removal.

9. A saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides ofsaid saw blade, each saw guide including a wear member supported inclose proximate relationship to the side surface of a saw blade andproviding an area of contact including points near the gullet on theleading edge of said saw blade and points adjacent the back edge of saidblade, the area of contacts on one side of said blade being generallyopposite to contacts on the other side, said saw having two unsupportedareas above and below said saw guides,

said areas being of different size, the smaller of the two areas beingused as the working area of said blade; a splitter disposed adjacent theback edge of said saw blade, said splitter being free to move laterallyin a direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation inresponse to transverse deflections of said saw blade; and means formoving a workpiece against said saw blade in the direction of rotationalcutting.

10. The saw machine of claim 9, and further comprising means foryieldably supporting at least one wear member for movement in adirection substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, saidwear member being maintained in contact against the side surface of thesaw blade with a force that urges the saw blade against the wear memberforming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of said blade andmaintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, each wear memberproviding an area of substantially continuous contact extending betweenpoints near the gullet on the leading edge of said blade across theblade to points adjacent the back edge of said blade.

11. The saw machine of claim 9, said saw blade having saw teeth that areprecision side-ground to provide a side clearance less than 0.010 inchper side.

12. The saw machine of claim 11, each saw tooth being hardened on topprior to side grinding.

13. The saw machine of claim 9, said'splitter having a widthsubstantially equal to or greater than the width of the kerf of said sawblade.

1. In a saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movementupon a saw arbor and a parallel saw guide disposed on opposite sides ofthe saw blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade with a force that urges a saw blade against thewear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, saidsupport means comprising a support arm mounted adjacent the front edgeof said saw blade and having a layer of resilient material disposedbetween said support arm and a supported wear member, said resilientlayer being compressed to place a preload force upon said wear memberurging said member against said saw blade.
 2. The saw machine of claim1, and further comprising means interconnecting said pair of saw guidesadjacent both front and back edges of said saw blade.
 3. The saw machineof claim 1, said support arm being mounted in a laminar block assemblycomprised of spacer blocks and centering plates, said centering platesbeing of predetermined width to position a pair of saw guides onopposite sides and in guiding relation to the saw blade.
 4. In a sawmachine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movement upon a sawarbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides of the sawblade, each saw guide including a wear member, and further comprising:means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member for movement ina direction substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, saidwear member being maintained in contact against the side surface of thesaw blade with a force that urges a saw blade against the wear memberforming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of said blade andmaintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, said support meanscomprising at least one support arm mounted adjacent the front edge ofsaid saw blade and having a facing plate mounted thereto with aresilient layer of material disposed therebetween. 5 In a saw machinehaving a rotary saw blade mounted for axial movement upon a saw arborand a pair of saw guides disposed on opposite sides of the saw blade,each saw guide including a wear member, and further comprising: meansfor yieldably supporting at least one wear member for movement in adirection substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, saidwear member being maintained in contact against the side surface of thesaw blade with a force that urges a saw blade against the wear memberforming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of said blade andmaintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, and furthercomprising means for supporting said pair of saw guides adjacent theback edge of said saw blade, said support means being movable into aposition nonsupporting relative to said saw guides, whereby said sawguides may be rotated relative to the axis of the saw arbor for axialremoval.
 6. In a saw machine having a rotary saw blade mounted for axialmovement upon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed on oppositesides of said blade, each saw guide including a wear member, and furthercomprising: means for yieldably supporting at least one wear member formovement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of bladerotation, said wear member being maintained in contact against the sidesurface of the saw blade with a force that urges the saw blade againstthe wear member forming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of saidblade and maintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane; and asplitter disposed adjacent the back edge of the saw blade and mounted tosaid support means, said splitter being free to move laterally in adirection substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation inresponse to transverse deflections of said saw blade.
 7. The saw machineof claim 6, and further comprising means for supporting said saw guidesand splitter adjacent the back edge of the saw blade.
 8. The saw machineof claim 7, said support means being movable into a nonsupportingposition relative to said saw guides and splitter, whereby said sawguides and splitter may be rotated relative to the axis of the saw arborfor axial removal.
 9. A saw machine having a rotary saw blade mountedfor axial movement upon a saw arbor and a pair of saw guides disposed onopposite sides of said saw blade, each saw guide including a wear membersupported in close proximate relationship to the side surface of a sawblade and providing an area of contact including points near the gulleton the leading edge of said saw blade and points adjacent the back edgeof said blade, the area of contacts on one side of said blade beinggenerally opposite to contacts on the other side, said saw having twounsupported areas above and below said saw guides, said areas being ofdifferent size, the smaller of the two areas being used as the workingarea of said blade; a splitter disposed adjacent the back edge of saidsaw blade, said splitter being free to move laterally in a directionsubstantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation in response totransverse deflections of said saw blade; and means for moving aworkpiece against said saw blade in the direction of rotational cutting.10. The saw machine of claim 9, and further comprising means foryieldably supporting at least one wear member for movement in adirection substantially parallel to the axis of blade rotation, saidwear member being maintained in contact against the side surface of thesaw blade with a force that urges the saw blade against the wear memberforming its pair to rigidify contacted portions of said blade andmaintain said blade in a predetermined cutting plane, each wear memberproviding an area of substantially continuous contact extending betweenpoints near the gullet on the leading edge of said blade across theblade to points adjacent the back edge of said blade.
 11. The sawmachine of claim 9, said saw blade having saw teeth that are precisionside-ground to provide a side clearance less than 0.010 inch per side.12. The saw machine of claim 11, each saw tooth being hardened on topprior to side grinding.
 13. The saw machine of claim 9, said splitterhaving a width substantially equal to or greater than the width of thekerf of said saw blade.